There are two issues at play here.
One is the creation of a mailing list from sources where there is any
expectation of privacy and the second is use of any email addresses
for the sending of unsolicited bulk email.
The first issue is about privacy and the second is about permission.
I have a low expectation of privacy on this discussion list. We are
asked to sign each post with our real names and some type of
neighborhood designation. However, my email address and name on this
list does not grant anyone its use for any purpose outside of this
list, especially spamming me.
It is important to understand that spam is not the individual emails
I get from fellow listers that are sent to me as private, off list
messages. These messages are unsolicited but they are individual
messages. When I signed up for this list I expressly gave the list
manager permission to send me the same messages sent in bulk to every
other list member. I solicited these messages. These bulk messages
are not spam.
Neither of these kinds of message can be considered Unsolicited Bulk
Email (UBE).
Spam is further explained as follows (from Spamhaus):
Spam is an issue about consent, not content. Whether the UBE message
is an advert, a scam, porn, a begging letter or an offer of a free
lunch, the content is irrelevant - if the message was sent
unsolicited and in bulk then the message is spam.
Spam is not a sub-set of UBE, it is not "UBE that is also a scam or
that doesn't contain an unsubscribe link", all email sent unsolicited
and in bulk is Spam.
In order for someone to avoid spamming the members of this list, it
is important to allow us to "opt in" -- to expressly state our desire
to receive emails from a new source of buik email. It is also
important not to send email in bulk to a list that is not composed
entirely of people who have explicitly given permission. Anything
else is spam and is considered unethical by me and by a whole lot of
people.
It is doubly unethical to use a rented list to create a new list of
bulk mail recipients who have NOT opted in to the new list. This just
poisons the original list and may put the sending address of the
original list owner into a kill file along with the sending address
of the new list.
It's really easy to be a sleaze with email lists. It's not all that
hard to be ethical.
If a group, such as PIP, wants to send unsolicited bulk email it can
easily do it. It will just be labeled a spammer. Not a good label to
have and not good company to keep.
However, if it wishes to do the work of creating a clean opt-in list,
it just has to ask us to join up. Everyone who is interested in
receiving their messages should be able to sign up quickly and
easily. Only then will their list be clean.
Regards,
Keith Nybakke
Nokomis East
Keewaydin
REMINDERS:
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you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL
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